


Combat.

by sonnet_18



Category: Togainu no Chi
Genre: Drama, M/M, Post side story, Romance, Weapons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 17:30:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12325578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonnet_18/pseuds/sonnet_18
Summary: Akira insisted on this but Motomi couldn't understand why his lover was so stubborn.





	Combat.

 

Motomi and Akira worked together in the job. Just because they’re freelance journalists, didn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. Competition could get tough and it’s just Motomi’s style to get into the heart of the matter even if the cases they covered were dangerous. Such as venturing into the slum areas with lots of thugs or trained bodyguards of a well-guarded mansion for that juicy snapshot evidence. All part of their daily job for them.

 

“That’s it, don’t use too much pressure on the trigger. You will lose concentration on your aim. Keep calm.”

 

“R-right.”

 

Motomi instructed after he watched Akira shoot a few more rounds in their shooting gym underground. Akira had no idea how Motomi managed to purchase a whole building with an underground bunker as their home and office. Perhaps after the civil war, land was cheap and people were too busy with the restoration project to care about who buys old, whole buildings as long as they have cash first hand.

 

 “I think that’s enough shooting practice for today.”

 

Motomi announced after he let Akira practiced another round, feeling proud but still conflicted how quickly his lover learned in handling the gun. Instructing on how to shoot was Motomi’s least favorite lesson to Akira, he rather liked their lessons on first aid procedure more. By now Akira was as good as a nurse when it came to patching up wounds. Or emergency first aid.

 

Akira nodded and rubbed his palms together with a wince after putting down the gun.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“I think I may need to wear gloves when using that for next practice.” Akira confessed then hid his hands away.

 

Motomi nodded though he still had this troubled look, “I still wished you don’t have to use it, Akira. A weapon capable of taking a person’s life…”

 

Akira gave him a stern look, “I told you, I want to learn this.”

 

Motomi sighed, “I can never win against you.”

 

The assistant then smirked, “Are you tired already? Getting much older that you can’t keep up with me?”

 

His tone was playfully insulting and of course Motomi knew that. The cocky brat.

 

“Oh yeah? Who was it that woke up late and I had to drag them out of bed for our morning jog?”

 

“Urgh… That wasn’t even a jog, you were running!”

 

“And who was it that didn’t want to wash the dishes then challenged me that the one who couldn’t finish 100 push-ups within 3 minutes has to do laundry duty for the rest of the week?”

 

“S-Shut up!”

 

Motomi laughed as he tousled with Akira’s hair.

 

Other than practicing on shooting, Motomi and Akira also trained together in combat. Both of them were previously trained like soldiers but, to Akira’s infinite frustration, Motomi was always stronger and faster. It’s unfair a heavy chain smoker like Motomi with that perfect abs and toned muscles could win every match!

 

“You’re always like that…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Whenever we’re under attacked or being chased, you could easily finish them off but instead you just…”

 

Akira saw it firsthand that Motomi, despite his friendly smiles and scruffy look, was often a misleading distraction for attackers to lower their guards. The ex-information broker’s punches were fast like a boxer. But he always, if possible, knocked his opponents cold than killing them. Just enough time for Akira to escape. Even with the gun, he’d always shoot at the attacker’s legs or as a distraction for them to run.

 

Akira knew Motomi was a formidable fighter if he wanted to fight seriously. Sometimes he wondered about Motomi’s past in the mercenary. What kind of soldier was he?

 

“Instead I just let them and we run away?” Motomi finished.

 

Akira nodded, frowning.

 

“Akira, tell me again what’s our job?”

 

“As… journalists.”

 

“And what do we do?”

 

“Write… the truth.”

 

“That’s right, the pen is mightier than any weapon. It can change history. And I don’t mean we write trashy tabloids about celebrities and scandals. The world is changing and I want us to travel and report them all. It’s so much more fun now that you’re here with me.”

 

Motomi explained as he kissed Akira on the cheek.

 

“But… you could be the best fighter…”

_Why hid his strength and amazing skills?_

 

“Well, I don’t like pain. Besides, I want to live long enough where kids can play and have fun without knowing about gun or knife fights like we saw last week.”

 

Many young adults like Akira were trained as soldiers but many didn’t reach the battlefield when the war was over. A lot roamed the streets still, tangled in gang fights and drugs. There were intervention programs to help these lost souls and that was much better than a repeat of Blaster matches.

 

With a pat on his back, Motomi grabbed for his jacket thrown on the nearby chair and headed to the door.

 

“So… yeah. Let’s head up, I’m all sweaty now. What do you want for dinner, Akira?”

 

Akira stopped him as he gripped Motomi’s sleeve.

 

“Not yet, you promised to teach me Muay Thai today.”

 

“But Akira…” Motomi scratched his head helplessly. Pleading with his eyes, “You’re already pretty good with your kicks.”

 

He was hoping Akira forgot about it.

 

“Not as good as you.” The younger man insisted.

 

“To be honest I am not even a qualified instructor on that. Only watched and learned from fellow mates. Besides, journalists don’t need to box the suspects for a confession.”

 

“I’m not going to harm any witnesses!”

 

“Then we can forget about the kick boxing.”

 

“No! I want to learn it, even just a bit, Ossan!”

 

“Akira…”

 

“I won’t change my mind. If you’re not going to teach me then I’ll just find my own teacher!”

 

“Wait just a damn moment here…” Motomi’s voice raised a bit, “Why are you so adamant in this?!”

 

Both of them never fought as Motomi was always the patient and understanding one. But tonight it almost grated his nerve that Akira was unusually persistent to learn one dangerous method of fighting to another!

 

Akira stood his ground as he clenched his fists by his sides.

 

“Because I want to be with you!”

 

That almost knocked off the wind from Motomi’s chest, stronger than any kick.

 

“W-what?”

 

Akira looked away with a blush, almost too embarrass to say what’s on his mind next.

 

“You said we are partners but on the job you always shield me, you always let me escape first. Protecting me. I know I can fight on my own but compared to you, I’m still… not strong enough. Not fast enough. Not...”

 

“Akira…”

 

“I... want to be strong. Not because I want to hurt anyone else but I want to be able to protect your back too! That’s what being partners mean, right? That we trust each other?”

 

Motomi could see Akira was so frustrated that his lower lip trembled.

 

“I wish you could rely on me a little bit more…”

 

Then it clicked to Motomi about his lover’s strange behavior the past week.

 

“O-oh…”

 

Why Akira often woke up late, he must be practicing alone until past midnight. That explained why the bunker door wasn’t lock nightly. Motomi was a heavy sleeper so often he didn’t realize when his partner left the bed.

 

And about the dishes, Motomi belatedly realized when he saw Akira’s hands. His beloved wasn’t playing hooky or lazy to wash the plates. His fingers and wrists hurt from the continuous impact of the gun practice. That was why he wanted gloves, thinking they could protect his sore and reddened skin.

 

Motomi felt so ashamed, how could he called himself a sharp information broker in the past when even this basic observation went past his head?!

 

“Akira… I’m so sorry…”

 

He stepped close to envelope the young man in his embrace.

 

“I’m so sorry for being dumb.”

 

Akira didn’t say anything but he rested his forehead on Motomi’s shoulder, probably not wanting his lover to see his reddened eyes. Akira’s arms cinched tightly around Motomi’s waist.

 

“I hated it when you see me as a kid. I thought you see me differently now…”

 

The assistant mumbled in a small voice, rarely he spoke aloud his inner thoughts. His worries and jnsecurities.

 

How frustrated Akira must have felt. Motomi said one thing but treated him like the same.

 

“I’m sorry… I just… don’t want to lose someone important to me again.”

 

“Then teach me to be stronger… trust me that I can fight and protect you too.”

 

“Akira…”

 

“Promise me. Because you said we’re a team, right?”

 

At this Akira looked up to him, his eyes a little moist but determined.

 

Motomi pressed their foreheads together and chuckled.

 

“Alright, I’ll teach you. But you have to allow me to worry about you, at least.”

 

At this he brought up Akira’s left wrist to his lips and kiss them tenderly.

 

“I don’t want you to push yourself too hard and strained anymore muscles.”

 

Akira almost gasped.

 

“Okay?”

 

Motomi pressed on, waiting.

 

The shorter man looked away.

 

 “Akira…”

 

Next he kissed Akira’s sensitive fingers, there were small blisters that has formed.

 

“F-fine… let go already.”

 

“Good, I’ll teach you the basics of Muay Thai tomorrow. Tonight we’ll have dinner and I want you to properly rest. No sneaking out of bed for self-practice.”

 

Akira frowned, “I always go to bed late, I can’t sleep this early.”

 

Motomi chuckled at his cute look.

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll watch Muay Thai videos to give you the gist of how the bodies move. We’ll even get popcorns and eat on the bed!”

 

Akira sighed, well he’d relent for tonight. Though personally he wanted to see Motomi himself demonstrate the moves. And no it’s not because Motomi has a great body than Akira’s slimmer figure, nope.

 

“Alright…”

 

Grinning with triumph, Motomi wrapped his arm around Akira’s shoulder and pulled him for a kiss. Akira’s knees almost buckled.

 

“Great! It’s been awhile I didn’t get to cuddle with you as we watch a movie together!”

 

“We’re watching tutorial videos, not romantic movies.” Akira corrected him with an annoyed tone. Lips red from the smooch.

 

Motomi just laughed, at least Akira didn’t disagree with the cuddling part.

 

Together they went up the stairs to their apartment. Despite the big gap between their combat experiences, their bond of affection to another grew a little closer that day.

 

Motomi was happy Akira opened his eyes to their relationship. That they’re partners, determined to be together to the grave.

 

\-----

 

 

\------------------

 

 

\------------------------------

 

 

End?

**Author's Note:**

> I recently found out about the official art where Motomi taught Akira how to use a gun. And someone kindly enough translated the blurb/additional dialogue to the illustrations. And so this oneshot came out. 
> 
> Don't you think it's kinda symbolic that Motomi's prefered weapon is the gun instead of close combat? Distancing himself from others. Plus, to aim well, you need a lot of concentration, nerves of steel and training. Just like him.
> 
> Personally I want to believe he's a skilled fighter ( I mean just look at his hot abs and them arms and that secushy bod--- slapped)
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
